This invention relates to lighting devices, and in particular, to safety lighting devices for providing a warning or alert to persons or vehicles within the vicinity of the lighting device.
At an incident, such as a traffic accident, an individual usually distributes a plurality of road flares on the road as a temporary divider or warning on a roadway. The road flares alert other drivers that there is an accident or other incident in front so as to separate the accident/incident from the roadway. One of the most common road flares is the ignition type disposable flare wherein the flare is simply ignited and directly disposed on the roadway. However, conventional ignition type flares have several drawbacks. Such flares are a fire hazard, not to mention a hazard to the individuals using them. Once a flare has been ignited, it is not safe for an individual to move or relocate it. The individual could burn their clothes, or their skin, or injure others. Moreover, combustible flares could ignite spilt fuel or dry brush along a roadside. Moreover, the usable time of the flare depends on the burning rate of the flare. If the user finishes the need for the flare before the flare is used up, the flare must be left on the roadway until the flare is totally burnt. If the user requires longer time for emergency lighting, another flare must be ignited.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a visual signal device that will operate to not only aid emergency personnel to locate an emergency site, but to provide a warning of an emergency condition. Moreover, it is desirable that the signal device be durable, environmentally safe, available at a reasonable cost and compact in size and operate to unequivocally signal an emergency condition. Furthermore, the signal device must have the capability to be easily turned on and off.